Abstract: To obtain automatic gain control with high accuracy by including first and second light monitors, a reference light supplying unit supplying reference light of which wavelength is set within a gain band of a distributed Raman amplification and out of a wavelength band of main signal light to the optical transmission path, a first reference light monitor monitoring a power of the reference light input to the optical transmission path from one end side thereof, a second reference light monitor monitoring the power of the reference light output from the other end side of the optical transmission path, and a controlling unit controlling supply of pump light in a pump light supplying unit as well as supervising a state of the optical transmission path, based on monitor results from the first and second light monitor and the monitor results in the first and second reference light monitors.

Abstract: A Raman amplifier inputs pump light into an optical fiber (transmission path) through which an optical signal passes, to amplify the optical signal. An optical receiving unit is provided downstream of the Raman amplifier and monitors the power of the optical signal amplified by the Raman amplifier. A calculating unit determines Raman amplification gain based on the power of the optical signal monitored by the optical receiving unit, and calculates the power of a noise component included in the optical signal based on the gain. The calculating unit, in real-time, calculates the power, which varies in complicated manners depending on conditions, and outputs information concerning to the power to another apparatus at a frequency on the order of milliseconds.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a Raman amplifier, a WDM optical communication system and a method of controlling the Raman amplification, capable of optimizing amplification characteristics in response to a change of operating conditions of the system so that transmission quality of the WDM signal light can be maintained in good.

Abstract: An optical node apparatus according to the present invention amplifies a WDM signal light input to an input port, and thereafter, branches the amplified WDM signal light by an optical branching coupler to send the branched lights to first and second optical paths, and selects the light propagated through the first optical path by an optical switch to amplify the selected light by a post-amplifier, thereby outputting the amplified light from an output port, when the optical node apparatus is operated as an optical amplification repeating node. When the operational state is upgraded to an optical add/drop multiplexing node, an OADM section is connected between a set of connecting ports on the second optical path, and the adjustment of the OADM section is performed utilizing the WDM signal light branched by the optical branching coupler, and thereafter, the switching of the optical switch is performed to select the light on the second optical path side.

Abstract: An optical amplifying apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant.

Abstract: In an optical transmission system according to one aspect of the present invention, for transmitting a WDM light from a transmission station to a reception station, utilizing a Raman amplifier, the Raman amplifier comprises an optical amplification medium; a pumping light source generating a plurality of pumping lights having wavelengths different from each other; an optical device introducing the plurality of pumping lights to the optical amplification medium; and control means for controlling the pumping light source, the transmission station sends out a plurality of reference lights having wavelengths at which respective Raman gain obtained by the plurality of pumping lights reach peaks or wavelengths close to the above wavelengths, and the control means controls the plurality of pumping lights based on the optical powers of the plurality of reference lights. Thus, it becomes possible to accurately manage the optical power balance of the WDM light and the optical power of the entire WDM light.

Abstract: A WDM signal monitoring system includes a measuring unit that measures power levels in a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands about a wavelength division multiplex signal, a waveform determination unit that determines an approximate waveform of each channel from each bit rate and modulation system of a plurality of channels which forms a wavelength division multiplex signal, and an approximation unit that determines a power level and a wavelength of each channel by approximating the power level in a plurality of wavelength bands which the measuring unit measured with the approximate waveform of each channel which the waveform determination unit determined.

Abstract: An optical amplifying apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant.

Abstract: A multi-wavelength light amplifier includes a first-stage light amplifier which has a first-light amplifying optical fiber amplifying a light input, a second-stage light amplifier which has a second light amplifying optical fiber amplifying a first light output from the first-stage light amplifier, and an optical system which maintains a second light output of the second-stage light amplifier at a constant power level. The first-stage and second-stage light amplifiers have different gain vs wavelength characteristics so that the multi-wavelength light amplifier has no wavelength-dependence of a gain thereof.

Abstract: In an optical amplifier of the invention, a first variable optical attenuator is provided between a fore-stage optical amplification unit and a post-stage optical amplification unit, and a second variable optical attenuator is also provided on the output side of the post-stage optical amplification unit. When a signal light input level of a WDM light inputted to an input port is lower than a base point level, an attenuation amount of the first variable optical attenuator is not increased (basically minimized), and the control which increases the attenuation amount of the second variable optical attenuator is performed corresponding to the increase in signal light input level. On the other hand, when the signal light input level is higher than the base point level, the attenuation amounts of both the first variable optical attenuator and the second variable optical attenuator are controlled according to the signal light input level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a gain of an optical amplifier, and the apparatus comprises a target gain calculating unit for calculating, as a target gain for an optical amplifier, a value obtained by increasing or decreasing a gain (output) of signal light as the number of wavelengths of wavelength-multiplexed signal light decreases, and a control signal outputting unit for outputting a control signal to the optical amplifier so as to amplify the wavelength-multiplexed signal light with the target gain calculated by the target gain calculating unit. This promptly suppresses a fluctuation of signal light level, particularly, a fluctuation of output light power of an optical amplifier stemming from a variation of the number of wavelengths of wavelength-multiplexed signal light.

Abstract: Multi-wavelength light is inputted to an erbium-doped fiber as an optical amplification medium. Pump light is supplied to this erbium-doped fiber. When a transition from a state signal light on the short wavelength area in the multi-wavelength is input in the erbium-doped fiber to a state the signal light is not input, the output power of signal light on the long wavelength area in the multi-wavelength light can vary. The wavelength of pump light is selected in such a way that the output power of the signal light on the long wavelength area can not be negative when the power varies.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing system according to the present art adjusts the amount of dispersion compensation (the amount of dispersion compensation of an NZ-DSF and a DCF) every all spans on the basis of the time slot when an intensity modulation signal transmitter outputs an intensity modulation signal and the wavelength interval when a wavelength coupler multiplexes a phase modulation signal (output from a phase modulation signal transmitter) and the intensity modulation signal.

Abstract: There is provided an optical amplifier including a Raman amplification medium, a rare earth doped fiber located at a latter stage of the Raman amplification medium, a first pump light outputting unit for outputting pump light with a plurality of wavelengths, a variable distribution element for distributing the pump light with the plurality of wavelengths, outputted from the first pump light outputting unit, to the Raman amplification medium and the rare earth doped fiber in a variable distribution ratio for each wavelength, and a control unit for individually controlling the distribution ratio of the pump light with the plurality of wavelengths in the variable distribution element and the power of the pump light with the plurality of wavelengths from the first pump light outputting unit in accordance with a wavelength arrangement of each of signal lights wavelength-multiplexed into the wavelength-multiplexed signal light.

Abstract: In a distributed Raman amplifier according to the present invention, a WDM signal light and a reference light are supplied to one end of an optical transmission path to which a pumping light is supplied; the WDM signal light and the reference light, which are propagated through the optical transmission path, are subjected to the distributed Raman amplification; the powers of the WDM signal light and the reference light, which are output from the other end of the optical transmission path, are monitored; and pumping light sources are controlled based on the monitor result. A wavelength of the reference light is set within a gain band of the distributed Raman amplification but longer or shorter than a wavelength of the WDM signal light, and also, set to be in a wavelength region in which a fluctuation amount of a Raman gain in the wavelength of the reference light becomes equal to or smaller than ? of a fluctuation amount of a Raman gain in the wavelength band of the WDM signal light.

Abstract: A Raman amplifier providing a wideband gain for use in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical communication system. In one embodiment, a first optical amplifier Raman amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed signal light in both a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band in accordance with a plurality of excitation (pumping) lights provided to the first optical amplifier, the first and second wavelength bands being different from each other. A divider divides the amplified signal light into first and second lights in the first and second wavelength bands, respectively. A second optical amplifier amplifies the first light and has a gain band in the first wavelength band. The third optical amplifier amplifies the second light and has a gain in the second wavelength band. In various embodiments, a gain equalizer and/or an optical isolator is used in combination with the first optical amplifier providing the Raman amplification.

Abstract: A Raman amplifier for amplifying a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light including signal lights wavelength division multiplexed together. The amplifier includes an optical amplifying medium and a controller. The optical amplifying medium uses Raman amplification to amplify the WDM light in accordance with multiplexed pump lights of different wavelengths traveling through the optical amplifying medium. The WDM light is amplified in a wavelength band divided into a plurality of individual wavelength bands. The controller controls power of each pump light based on a wavelength characteristic of gain generated in the optical amplifying medium in the individual wavelength bands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical transmission apparatus capable of suppressing a transitional gain variation when a number of signal wavelengths changes, and maintaining communication quality in optical signals. The optical transmission apparatus is provided with an optical power control device that varies light power of light for each wavelength component corresponding to a wavelength channel, the light including signal light and spontaneous emission light; a wavelength arrangement information obtaining unit that obtains arrangement information of the wavelength channel of the signal light; and a control unit that controls the power control device based on the arrangement information obtained at the wavelength arrangement information obtaining unit so that light power of a wavelength component of the signal light and light power of a wavelength component other than the wavelength component of the signal light become substantially equal.

Abstract: An optical node apparatus according to the present invention amplifies a WDM signal light input to an input port, and thereafter, branches the amplified WDM signal light by an optical branching coupler to send the branched lights to first and second optical paths, and selects the light propagated through the first optical path by an optical switch to amplify the selected light by a post-amplifier, thereby outputting the amplified light from an output port, when the optical node apparatus is operated as an optical amplification repeating node. When the operational state is upgraded to an optical add/drop multiplexing node, an OADM section is connected between a set of connecting ports on the second optical path, and the adjustment of the OADM section is performed utilizing the WDM signal light branched by the optical branching coupler, and thereafter, the switching of the optical switch is performed to select the light on the second optical path side.

Abstract: In a wavelength-division-multiplexing optical transmission system in which optical-node apparatuses that perform relay transmission of wavelength-division-multiplexed light are located at specified nodes in a main optical transmission path, an optical amplifier switches level control to constant-gain control when there is a notification of a change in the number of multiplexed wavelengths, and then after a specified amount of time restarts level control so that the level becomes a target level that corresponds to the actual number of wavelengths.